Magic, no. Supernatural, yes.

Posted on by glenchen

I am somewhat of an odd duck when it comes to my writing. I have positioned myself (with a lot of exceptions) as a Christian suspense writer who also writes science fiction. Here’s why: I am a born-again Christian who also loves science fiction. I believe each has something to teach the other. And I try to crowd the line between the two as much as possible.

When I say Christian suspense, technically what I am writing is Christian supernatural suspense. And if you are a Christian who doesn’t believe in the supernatural, then I am disappointed in you. The Bible is full of supernatural tales. For supernature–that world above our ken–is the stuff of miracles. And if we don’t believe in the supernatural, then we don’t believe in angels, or demons, or Satan, or God.

Our humanist Western society–and education–has led us to the point of poo-pooing the idea of invisible beings around us, of a heaven that exists somewhere else, and the concept of life after death. We often are tempted to think of God like we do Santa Claus, someone who gives rewards to those who are good.

And even when we say we believe in angels and demons, we don’t like to think or talk about them being around us and taking part in what is happening in the world or in our lives.

So here’s a laundry list of what I do (and don’t) believe in:

I believe in angels. I don’t believe in ghosts, fairies or elves.

I believe in demons. I don’t believe in werewolves and vampires (although I believe that many folktales that talk about creatures of the night are really tied to demons).

I believe in God. I believe that He takes an interest and involvement in what happens in our lives.

I believe in Satan, and believe that he is the cause of the messed up lives we often live (although we are not innocent in this either).

If you believe in these things as I do, then you can see fodder for suspenseful stories, as I do.

And when it comes to talking about philosophical questions such as Why are we here, where are we going, and what happens when we die, you can see how the line between science fiction and Christian suspense can blur.

It’s not fantasy. Not to me. But it can be fiction.